Handkerchiefs, Tape, Staplers And Glue Guns
by Alex Beckett
Summary: When Alexis' relationship with Pi crumbles, she feels destroyed. It will take a miracle for her to recover, but she has never been one to give up in the face of danger. Just who is her rescuer?
1. Stay With Me

**I don't anyone except for original characters.**

* * *

Alexis wasn't even sure why she'd come to the cafe today. She wasn't in much of an eating or reading mood, and she didn't even have anything to study yet because she didn't have to be back at Columbia for another week. Paige, Sloan, Lauren and Jules were gone at The London School Of Economics, Georgia Tech, Stanford and even The University Of Tokyo. Alexis was the only one who'd opted to stay behind after high school graduation, so they'd all moved on, and that was just the way things were now.

After the events in Paris, Alexis had decided that she would rather be close to her family, and now that her father and Kate were getting married, she was quite happy to stay local because she really didn't want to miss the wedding.

But why was she at the cafe?

Alexis glanced over at the display of food for sale in the big refrigerated window, wondering vaguely if she should try something, or just stick to the free plastic cup of ice water sitting alone in front of her on the table. As much as she wanted to eat, she knew that it would be best if she stuck to the simple foods she had stashed away in her bedroom at home. If she tried anything else - especially fruit - she'd upchuck it. Again.

That's when she caught sight of the apple pie in the display case and remembered why she'd come.

Pi.

She'd come to escape from him.

The main reason she'd hooked up with him on was because she was just looking for a rebound after catching Max cheating on her. Alexis and Pi met because he'd decided to pay for her lunch in the airport cafe at JFK, where they stayed for almost two hours, just talking and enjoying each other, but everything felt wrong now. None of the songs made sense, and the spark that had been there died when they'd had sex in her shower; it left her feeling cheap and used. Now Pi was ready to invest in things for the long run, but didn't notice that Alexis wasn't feeling the same way.

She just needed needed some space.

Turning away from the blasted baked dessert, Alexis took a few calming breaths, trying to center herself. Ever since she decided that she needed to end things with Pi, she'd been feeling nothing but stress because he was just so nice, and was having a hard time of thinking of what to say to him.

* * *

After a few minutes of sitting at her little table in the corner, Alexis' ears perked up at the sound of a small child crying. She quickly spied a small girl of about three years old, sitting on the floor with a muffin in her hands and crying her eyes out. Alexis crouched down in front of the girl and studied her. She had pale skin, rosy cheeks and big blue eyes, but her long blond hair was tied up in pigtails with green hair ties. The girl was wearing a dress and leggings the same shade of green, but also had on a very cute pair of navy blue ballet flats. She was was obviously well taken care of, but at the moment, looked lost.

"Hi, sweetheart." Alexis used a gentle tone and held a hand out to the girl. "Are you lost?"

The cries lessened slightly and she nodded.

"Where's your mama?"

"L-lost!"

She burst into tears all over again, but didn't object when Alexis moved closer.

"You're going to be okay, little one. Mama can't be too far away."

The little girl hiccuped, but her cries were getting quieter. A split second later, a woman's voice called out.

"Rosamund? Where'd you go, my silly sweet pea?"

Rosamund brightened immediately, and since she still had her muffin in her hands, she let Alexis put her on her feet, whereupon she quickly hurried around the display case and straight to her mother, who immediately scooped her up in a hug. Not until she was back on her own feet did Alexis really see who Rosamund's mother was, and she was a bit surprised. It was none other than Alexandra, one of Alexis' classmates from her advanced French class.

The two were friends, but but nothing past study buddies because Alexandra was a few years older than Alexis, and she was also a commuter student. Today was the first day Alexis realized why - Alexandra was a mother, and Rosamund was her spitting image.

"Alexandra, hi!" Alexis couldn't really keep the surprise from her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." the blonde challenged teasingly, smoothing out the wrinkles on her dress as Rosamund began spilling muffin crumbs on her.

"I thought that you'd be back at school by now, setting up your dorm."

Alexis shook her head and sat down. "I don't even want to talk about school or think about it right now."

Alexandra joined her at the table, sitting Rosamund on her lap. "Is there anything you need?"

"I just need a friend, Allie. I am so sad, and I feel so lonely."

"I'm here, Lex." her kind smile faltered. "Are you okay?"

Alexis didn't answer because she was beginning to see spots, and this concerned Alexandra.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"An hour or so ago, but I haven't been able to really keep anything down but crackers..."

"We need to get you to the hospital."

Alexandra set Rosamund on the ground and hurried over to Alexis, keeping her stable when she stood again.

"Come on. Let me take you."

"No, I'm fine." Alexis insisted, sitting on the floor and trying to put her head between her knees. "It'll pass in a minute."

Alexandra wasn't so sure about that because the next thing she knew, she had to scramble to catch Alexis when she began teetering. Alexis was leaning up Alexandra's front, so Alexandra kept an arm around her to keep her from fading into unconsciousness, using her free hand to pat her face. She had a feeling in the back of her mind that she knew what was going on, but she was going to keep that to herself until her friend was out of the woods.

"Stay with me, Alexis. I know you can."

"Mmm..." was the only response she received.

The cafe was not empty, even for a late Monday morning, so by now, all of the occupants and baristas had noticed what was going on. A few of them were even on their phones, calling for help. About ten minutes later, an ambulance had arrived, and the emergency medical technicians entered the cafe with a stretcher in tow. Alexandra tried to go with them, but one of the technicians stopped her.

"What is this young woman's name and age?"

"Alexis Harper Castle. She's nineteen."

"Are you related to Alexis? Girlfriend, sister, cousin?"

Alexandra shook her head and picked Rosamund up to keep her from being underfoot. Rosamund contently ate her muffin while her mother talked to the EMT.

"Alexis is my classmate at Columbia University. We met last year."

"Do you know how to contact any of her family members?"

Alexandra shook her head again, feeling bad that she couldn't help. "I really don't. Could you at least tell me what hospital she's being taken to?"

"Saint Vincent's. I need a report of what happened since you were with her."

Alexandra launched into a detailed account of the event, but when she reached the end, she hesitated.

"Come on," the EMT encouraged kindly. "I need you to tell me everything."

"I want to play the anonymous source card, but I think Alexis could be pregnant."

"Thank you for that tip. We will look into it, and your identity will remain anonymous."

"Thank you."

Alexandra watched as the EMT hurried out to the ambulance after her partner, and as the activity in the cafe returned to normal, she looked down at Rosamund.

"What do you think, Rosie? Should we go check on Alexis?"

The little one gave a solemn nod. "But get a cheer-up present first!"

"Good idea." Alexandra agreed, walking out of the shop. "What about a stuffed animal?"

"A lion?"

"That sounds perfect. Let's go look for a lion toy!"

And so mother and daughter left the cafe, looking for a store that would sell toy lions.

* * *

Alexis was in and out of it during the ride to the hospital; the only thing that she could remember was expelling what little was in her stomach until she was dry-heaving as she heard things things like "Hypoglycemic..." and "Start the glucose drip now..." before passing out again.

When she came to, she was a little disoriented at the sight of being in a hospital gown in a hospital bed with an IV needle in her arm, but then it all started coming back to her. Then she saw who was at her bedside - Pi.

"Hey, Al." he moved closer to her, speaking softly and helping her to take a drink of water from the cup on her bedside table. "I heard you took quite a spill."

Alexis nodded vaguely; she hated being called that nickname. Pi moved to comfort her, but she shied away from him, not wanting to be touched just yet.

"Please don't touch me. Will you call the doctor?"

Looking slightly dejected, Pi nodded and pressed the 'call doctor' button. The call was answered in no time at all, but Alexis was very taken aback when she saw who her doctor was - Detective Ryan's wife, Jenny.

"Missus Ryan? You're a doctor?"

The blond nodded and when she rested a hand in the small of her back, Alexis noticed that Jenny had a prominent baby bump.

"Yes, I am and your case was brought to my attention, but before I go any further," she nodded towards Pi. "Is this your boyfriend?"

Alexis nodded. "His name is Pi."

"Do you feel comfortable with him being here?"

"Yes. Have you been able to contact my dad, Kate or my Gram?"

"I was able to contact all three of them, and they're on their way over here."

Alexis laid back and breathed a sigh of relief, still refusing Pi's touch. "Okay. That's all I want to know."

Jenny pulled up a stool to the bed and eased herself onto it, looking serious. "Your case was brought to my attention firstly because you're presenting with hypoglycemia. Do you know what that is?"

Pi furrowed his eyebrows. "Doesn't that happen when some's blood sugar is too low?"

"Yes, exactly." Jenny nodded and turned back to Alexis. "In this case, your blood sugar was very low and if it had been any lower, you would've gone into hypoglycemic shock."

Pi jumped in before Alexis could speak. "But she's on the mend right now, isn't she?"

"Indeed." Jenny gave another nod and turned her gaze to the redhead in the room. "The anonymous source who was reporting your situation suspects that you might be pregnant, Alexis."

The p-word hit Alexis like a ton of bricks. Pregnant? Her? Not much could be said for her 'good girl' reputation anymore, but it made sense - the illness, lack of will to eat, tiredness, and of course, the other telltale signs that she'd just chalked up to the stress that came with planning the break-up.

Pi, on the other hand, had visibly blanched when Jenny suggested the possibility of pregnancy. A father? Him? No. No fucking way. He wouldn't be in denial because he'd own up to getting Alexis pregnant, but he just knew that with the lifestyle that he maintained, there was no way that he'd be able to help take care of his own child. He could take care of his girlfriend, sure, but not a baby. Nope.

Alexis' voice brought him back to reality as she spoke to the doctor.

"Pregnant? My cycle has been late, but I thought it was related to other things. I got it while I was in Costa Rica, but not since I've been back, and that was almost two months ago. Oh, my God..."

Jenny looked at Pi, who still hadn't said anything. "Do you have anything to say?"

"What if Alexis isn't pregnant, but just really stressed about something? How can we confirm this?"

"Either by getting a blood sample or doing an ultrasound."

Alexis raised her hand. "I vote ultrasound; I can't stand needles."

"An ultrasound it is."

Watching Jenny get things ready, Alexis realized that the other woman was an obstetrician and suddenly felt as though she had a little piece of security to hang onto if she was indeed pregnant. Alexis didn't know Jenny at all, except for what she'd heard through the grapevine, but she saw this as an opportunity to get to know her better and have help at the same time.

Pretty soon, Alexis found herself pulling back her hospital gown and noticed that her midriff was a little puffy. How had she not seen that before?

"Alexis, I have to squirt this gel on your belly now." Jenny was telling her. "It's a bit cold."

"Bring it."

She flinched as Jenny applied the cold gel and moved the ultrasound transducer around on her belly. It all felt strange.

"Oh, would you look at that." Jenny pointed at a little grey blob in the middle of the screen. "That's your baby, Alexis. What do you think?"

Alexis' heart rose into her throat when she processed what she was looking at, and suddenly, she was feeling every emotion at once - fear, confusion, anger, joy and love.

"Hello, my tiny love." she whispered to the image in front of her. "Mama loves you so much already."

It was true - yes, she was pregnant at nineteen, and yes, she hadn't been expecting it at all, but now she couldn't imagine not giving birth to her own child or giving it up for adoption. She was definitely in for some major life changes and school was going to have to be put on a back-burner, but in that moment, she knew she could do it. She was going to be a mother.

"Pi, what do you think?"

He was even more quiet and disconnected than before, making Alexis worry, so Jenny break the silence.

"Alexis, your family should be here now, so I will go look for them."

Alexis' stomach rumbled heartily, causing her to groan when she remembered how empty it was. "When will I be able to eat? Has it been the baby that's been making me sick?"

"Yes." Jenny handed Alexis a few paper towels, which Alexis used to wipe off the gel. "You're also presenting with acute morning sickness, and I would like to keep you here until your IV drip finishes within the hour. We will talk more about food after that. How does that sound?"

Alexis fell back on her bed, thinking fleetingly of Alexandra and how she would more than likely sneak something in if it was asked of her. Unfortunately, she had to stay in the present, where Alexandra wasn't and answer the question.

"That all sounds great, but when you bring them up here, could you not let them in right away? Maybe just fill them in on the situation first?"

"Of course." Jenny printed out a few sonogram snapshots and handed them to Alexis. "I'll be back soon."

When she was gone, Alexis marveled over the sonograms for a minute, hurt that Pi didn't even want to look.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Pi asked suddenly. "A baby? What about us?"

"Calm?" Alexis gave him her best evil eye. "You think that I feel calm about having been turned into a human incubator? I'm pretty freaked out, and I can't even think of what my family will say, but I want to raise this baby."

She wasn't about to mention that she didn't want to be like her mother at all.

"What about us?" Pi repeated. "I thought that we were going to have adventures."

"This from the guy can't get back home to Amsterdam because he lost his passport! How can we have adventures if we can't even leave the country together? You're cool, Pi, but there's no 'us' in the longterm and don't think there ever will be. Do you want the truth?"

"You're just going to tell me, anyway..."

"I hooked up with you and brought you home with me because my ex-boyfriend cheated on me, and I was looking for a rebound. I never wanted this to be serious. I am so sorry."

"Don't be. I also like you, but if this is the way it's meant to be, then okay. I need a companion and maybe future wife who can also live the nomadic lifestyle, and she isn't you."

"It isn't." Alexis felt disconcerted by the mention of marriage. "I don't mean to kick you while you're down, but there's another thing that I have to say."

"What's left? You don't feel any attraction, whatsoever?" he guessed. "You actually dig girls, or you're starting to?"

Alexis blushed spectacularly because this actually close to the truth. She had started feeling attracted towards girls ever since she met Alexandra, but she didn't know what to think or say about it. All she wanted to do was talk to Alexandra, but she didn't even know if her friend would be upset by such a topic.

"It's okay if that's the truth, Alexis. I won't be offended at at all."

Alexis was at a loss for words on the subject, mostly because she couldn't believe that Pi was handling everything so well, so she adjusted her gown and ran a hand over her belly.

"What about this little guy or girl?"

Pi stood, preparing to leave. "I'm not father material, trust me on that one. They'll be better off with two parents who really love each other and can be there together, as a whole. It won't work like that with us, and I don't want to disappoint the kid."

"Too late." Alexis turned bitter. "There's going to be nothing in the world that will be able to fix the feeling of knowing that you don't even want to be involved."

"I wish it didn't have to be this way." Pi tried one more time to comfort Alexis or feel her, but she turned away. "Have a good life."

When Alexis was alone, she burst into gut-wrenching tears because she'd been through plenty of break-ups before, but this was already hurting the worst.

She wasn't sure how long she laid in her bed crying, although she knew in reality that it only had to be a few minutes. To say that she was relieved when she heard a knock at her door was true, but she really hoped that it wasn't Jenny bringing the rest of her family to see her because she suddenly didn't have the energy to deal with them, especially her dad.

"Who's there?" she called.

"Alexandra and Rosamund. May we come in?"

Alexis' heart actually leapt with joy and she called back, sitting up. "Yes, please!"

Alexandra opened the door and entered with Rosamund on her hip. When they saw how distraught she was, she immediately set their things down but Rosamund kicked off her shoes and reached for Alexis. To Alexandra's great surprise, Alexis reached back, so she set Rosamund on the bed. Her daughter leaned against Alexis with the utmost care and smiled when Alexis pulled her in close for a hug.

Alexis felt the utmost comfort, holding Rosamund and talking quietly to her. She was definitely surprised at how natural it felt.

"Why the tears?" Alexandra asked. "You can tell me anything, Alexis."

"I just broke up with Pi because he got me pregnant and doesn't want to stick around. I've never felt so alone."

The act of admitting those words aloud made her cry again, so Alexandra sat on the edge of the bed and wiped Alexis' tears.

"You aren't going to be alone because you're my friend, and I care about your wellbeing."

Keeping Rosamund secure, Alexis found Alexandra's hand and held on. "Stay with me?"

Alexandra kicked off her own shoes and laid on the bed, gently squeezing Alexis' hand and giving her a heartfelt smile.

"Of course."


	2. Everyone Finds Out

All too soon, there was another knock on the door and Jenny was back, checking on Alexis' IV drip. When Jenny saw Alexandra with Alexis, she recognized her.

"Allie, what are you doing here?"

"I made sure that Alexis got here."

"Hang on." Alexis was confused. "How do you two know each other?"

"Jenny is my sister-in-law; her hubby is my brother." Alexandra happily explained.

"I was never aware that Detective Ryan had siblings..."

"Well, he does. He's got Joelle, Emilie, Bellamy and me."

"Okay, you - enough about our family tree." Jenny gave Alexandra a gentle nudge. "I need you to get off Alexis' bed so I can check her vitals and let her family in."

Alexandra did as she was told, but she didn't dare move Rosamund because she was curled up against Alexis protectively, with one of her hands resting over Alexis' heart. The only time Rosamund moved, it was to accept her stuffed crab toy from her mother, but other than that, she watched the scene with the vigilance of a hawk.

Much to Alexis' relief, her vitals were climbing in the direction of improvement, and her IV would be done in the next half hour. Unfortunately, it was time for the inevitable - a visit from her dad, Kate and Martha.

When they entered, the first thing they noticed other than Alexis being hooked up to an IV drip was the little girl in her arms that none of them recognized.

"Alexis, who's this?" Kate asked.

"She's my friend Rosamund." the redhead answered truthfully.

"Where's her mother?"

"Over th-"

Her answer was cut off by a sudden interruption from her father. "You're pregnant, though? Alexis, you're only nineteen! What were you thinking?"

"Sorry to be such a disappointment, daddy..."

Her bottom lip trembled and she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself as her father continued to rant.

"Where the hell is Pi? I am going to find him and clean his clock for putting his hands on you in the first place!"

"He went back to the loft to pack up his things. I dumped him because he doesn't want to stick around."

Castle was positively livid. "And now he's going to be leaving you high and dry? That does it!"

He turned on his heel and left the room without waiting for another word. His abrupt exit left all of the occupants in the room in a stunned silence, except for Rosamund, who had slept through the whole thing. Alexis turned to Kate, almost fearful.

"Are you going to flip out on me, Kate? You _are_ going to be my stepmother when you marry dad."

The woman started; this was the first time Alexis had admitted that fact aloud to her, yet, she didn't see the point of the girl having two parents mad at her.

"No, sweetheart, I won't flip out on you. I promise."

"Are you angry?"

"I'm not, actually. You're an adult now, you made an adult choice, and this is the outcome."

Kate came to Alexis' bedside and in a move that surprised both of them, she hugged the young woman and smiled kindly at her.

"You and your baby are going to be okay, and I'll be in your corner for anything you need. Don't be afraid to ask me for help."

An overwhelming sense of gratitude coursed through Alexis; she couldn't believe that Kate was being so nice to her about this.

"Thank you again."

"You're welcome." Kate gave Alexis' shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I love you already, but now I have to go catch up with your father before he gets his hands on your ex."

"Then by all means, go ahead."

Kate hurried out of the room, leaving Martha as the only remaining visitor. She sat in the chair next to Alexis' bed and held the hand that wasn't wrapped around Rosamund.

"How are you doing? Doctor Ryan told us that you fainted in the cafe."

"I'm getting better."

"She also told us that you have acute morning sickness and that you've been sick lately."

Alexis nodded mutely.

"Why didn't you tell anyone, darling?"

"I didn't even think about being pregnant because I was trying to figure out how to break up with Pi, and it worked. He doesn't want to be in his own child's life because he prefers being a nomad and wants a companion who would be able to have that lifestyle, too. That's not for me."

"No, it isn't." Martha nodded in agreement, knowing her granddaughter well. "One man's loss is another person's treasure."

Alexis melted at this, but just as she was about to answer, Rosamund sat up and gaped at Martha. It looked as if a huge epiphany had just crossed the little girl's mind. Martha was quite amused by the girl's expression and spoke gently to her.

"You're Rosamund, aren't you?"

"Rosa." the little one corrected, continuing to look at Martha with wide eyes.

"Alright, Rosa. What's the matter?"

"Fairy Godmama!" Rosa breathed. "You Fairy Godmama?"

Martha blinked in surprise; Rosamund was referring the little production that Martha and her acting studio had recently put on. The actress had overseen most of it, but she also took on the role of the iconic figure when the original actress had to back out because she'd come down with an awful cold.

"Yes, I suppose I _am_ the fairy godmother, aren't I? Is it alright if I come and visit Alexis for a few minutes?"

Rosamund nodded and gave a sleepy yawn. "Bippy-boppy-boo!"

"Those are the magic words I used when I needed to help Cinderella get ready for the ball." Martha watched Rosamund yawn again. "Are you tired?"

Nod.

"Then just cuddle up with Alexis and close your eyes. She and your mother will both be here when you wake up."

The three year old was immediately swayed and curled up with Alexis, again resting her hand over Alexis' heart. She was asleep in the blink of an eye. Martha got up and went over to Alexandra, who became startled to be noticed at all.

"Are you Rosamund's mother?"

"Yeah, I'm Alexandra and I'm a classmate of Alexis'. Rosa and I just saw your production of Cinderella the other day, and I guess you made quite an impression on her."

Martha smiled more. "Were you there with Alexis when she fainted in the cafe?"

"Yes, I was and I made sure that she got here."

"Thanks, darling, and thanks for taking care of my granddaughter and her baby."

"It will be my pleasure to take care of them."

Martha tilted her head to the side, studying the young woman. "Are you related to the Ryans?"

"Yes!" Alexandra chirped. "Kevin is my older brother, and there are three more siblings above him. I'm at the bottom of the heap, and to put the icing on the cake, since Jenny over there is married to him, that makes her my sister-in-law."

"Good to know." Martha quickly checked her watch. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go home and make sure everything is well with the rest of my family."

"I won't stop you, but it was great to meet you, Martha. My family has been watching your career since before I was born."

"That's right, Allie." joked Alexis. "Butter her up and see where it gets you."

"The two of you together are dangerous." Martha remarked dryly.

The girls burst into giggles at that statement, so feeling that her work was done, the actress left the room.

Alexis immediately laid back in bed. "How much longer until the IV is done? I can barely think straight because my stomach is that empty."

Jenny checked the bag. "Forty-five minutes."

Alexis broke down into tears, tired and exhausted. Alexandra rushed over and laid back down with her, caressing her face and making soothing noises.

"It's okay, sweetie. Just focus on the sound my voice and we'll make it and then you can have as much chocolate pudding or jello as you want."

Amazed that the distraction technique was working, Jenny backed out of the room quietly. Those forty-five minutes would just fly on by.

* * *

"Lex?" Alexandra stroked Alexis' face gently. "Hey, you. It's time to wake up."

Alexis had fallen asleep very briefly and it took a minute for her to wake up and when she saw her surroundings and the people there, everything started coming back to her. Alexandra got off the bed, taking Rosamund with her and Jenny moved forward, pressing a button on Alexis' bed so that she was now in a sitting position.

"Your IV drip is finally done," Jenny explained, gently taking the needle of the teenager's vein and disposing of it. "Which means that we can finally start you on semi-solid foods now. We'll see where you are after that."

"What do you mean by 'semi-solid'?"

"I mean chocolate or vanilla pudding. Which would you like to try?"

"Chocolate, but what if I vomit again?"

"Then I'll be right here beside you, holding a bucket." the older woman cast a stern look at her sister-in-law standing nearby with with her child in her arms.

"You'll help, too, won't you?"

"Of course!"

Once again, Alexis was feeling overwhelmed by the love that the Ryan women were showing to her and it really bolstered her confidence.

"Okay, let's do this."

After being warned to pace herself, Alexis was able to make it through a whole pudding cup and after a one hour wait, and she didn't expel her stomach contents, Jenny declared Alexis fit to go home and gave her the discharge papers.

Once those were signed and Alexis was dressed, she noticed that Alexandra was now sitting in the rocking chair with Rosamund, who was still fast asleep. Alexandra caught Alexis looking and thought it was very cute when Alexis hurried to come up with something to say.

"Thank you for staying with me, Allie. You didn't have to."

"But I wanted to. Like I said - you're my friend, and I care about your wellbeing."

Alexis kept herself in check even though those words made her heart. "Don't you have someone to go home to? A boyfriend or husband?"

"No. Rosamund's father has been out of the picture since I was pregnant, and I would like to be married one day, but I have to find the right girl first because the last one really hurt us."

"The right girl?" Alexis echoed, hardly daring to believe her luck.

"Mhm." Alexandra confirmed. "Does it offend you that I like girls?"

"No, not at all. I have no problems with that."

"Excellent."

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Most certainly."

"Don't you have school, or something? It's not even five o'clock yet, and normally you'd be up on campus right now."

"About that - I can't afford to keep Rosamund in daycare and commute up to school every day, so I'm going to be staying down here and doing online courses. I'm also going to be working a little more in my parents' bakery. If you hadn't fainted on me in the cafe, I would've told you."

Alexis felt even lighter than ever; after a really crummy day, things were finally leaning in her favor. Was this fate?

Leave it to Rosamund to ruin the moment. With absolutely no warning, she woke up and sat straight up, causing Alexandra to jump slightly.

"We need to get you home so you can have a proper sleep!"

Rosamund shook her head. "I don't wanna!"

Alexandra raised her eyebrows at her daughter. "I beg your pardon, Rosa?"

The little girl answered her mother haltingly in a language that Alexis didn't recognize, but Alexandra obviously understood because she retrieved a brightly colored gift bag from the counter and gave it to Rosamund who sat it in Alexis' lap.

"For you."

Alexis was very flattered and made a big deal about it. "Awww, Rosa, this is very sweet! Thank you!"

Rosamund turned bright red and giggled. "Open it!"

Alexis extracted the tissue paper from the bag and lifted the stuffed lion out of the bag. It was a very cute thing, made the softest brown velvet with a pumpkin orange mane and tail tip. Even its eyes, embroidered on as they were, made it look even cuter. Without thinking, Alexis held the toy against her midriff. Just imagining her child playing with it had her in tears because with each passing second, the baby was growing inside her, meaning that in the end, she would be able to hold and kiss the little one.

Rosamund was quite taken aback by her friend's tears and climbed into her lap.

"S'okay, Lexie!" she gave her the biggest hug she could manage. "S'okay!"

Alexis reciprocated the hug, and Rosamund sank into it; clearly, she adored this personn as much as her mother did. They stayed like that for a moment before Alexis gave her one last hug and set her on the ground.

"Thanks, Rosa. I really needed that."

Rosamund giggled again and blew her a kiss. "You gon' come?"

"No, angel, I have to go back to my house."

Rosamund gave a dejected sigh that had Alexis again scrambling for something to say.

"But you know, maybe I'll call your mama sometime this week and I'll see you two again!"

"Okay!"

Rosamund blew Alexis another kiss and just to humor her, Alexis 'caught' it. This put Rosamund into a tizzy of laughter, and actually stumbled a little because she was punch-drunk with sleepiness. Alexandra plucked her up and sat her on her hip. Unsurprisingly, the little girl was out like a light again with her head on her mother's shoulder.

With her free hand, Alexandra hauled Alexis to her feet. "Will you let me bring you home? For my own peace of mind?"

"I would love that, and I was actually going to ask if you'd see me as far as the front door. I don't think I should be traveling alone right now..."

"Alright, Alexis. Let's go."

When they were out in the hallway, they walked in silence, just enjoying each other's presence even though they were in a hospital. It wasn't until they were in the elevator that Alexandra turned to Alexis.

"Do you know what you're going to about school yet?"

"No."

"I was just wondering because I don't start with the online courses for a few more weeks yet. Do you want to go to the park or something with Rosamund and me next time?"

Next time.

Those words echoed in Alexis' ears and she had to focus hard on remembering to answer the inquiry.

"I'd love that. Maybe you could call me?"

"I sure will."

And with that, both women fell silent, each one excited by the exchange that had just taken place.

What had just been proposed wasn't quite a date, but it still didn't keep either of them from jumping for joy.

On the inside.


	3. Back At The Ranch

When Alexis reached the front door of the loft with Alexandra and Rosamund, she hugged them goodbye and watched them go; as much as she wanted them to come meet her family, this was not the time for that.

After the elevator doors closed behind Alexandra and Rosamund, Alexis entered the loft.

She didn't spot her father immediately, so she made her way over to the spacious window seat and stretched out on it, looking out on the street below. Alexis couldn't quite put her finger on why, but this was one of her favorite spaces in the whole loft. Maybe because it was tucked away from everything else, she didn't really know.

Fishing the stuffed lion from her bag, she sat it on top of her still-flat abdomen and then very carefully so the toy didn't fall over, she pulled out the sonogram pictures that Doctor Ryan had given her and perused through them - it really took her breath away to know that someone so small had taken up residence inside her body and was already so full of life.

* * *

"Alexis?"

Kate had stopped in front of her, almost shy. "Would you like some company?"

Alexis grinned. "I would love some company."

She made to get up, but Kate just sat on the end of the seat, propping Alexis' legs on her lap.

"Are you comfortable?"

"Mhm. Do you want to see a picture of my baby?"

Kate felt her heart jump a little, but she schooled herself. "Sure!"

Alexis watched Kate study the sonograms and didn't fail to notice the look of longing in the other woman's eyes.

"Everything alright with you?" she asked seriously. "Something you want to tell me?"

"No, sweetie." Kate shook her head and handed the picture back. "There won't be any babies from me for awhile yet."

"Oh..."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No, but just have a kid or two before I'm twenty-five, or something. An age gap any bigger than that would be weird."

"Then we'll wait until you're twenty-eight, going on twenty-nine. That's a number still inside the limit."

Alexis pretended to be shocked and then looked down at her midriff. "You hear that, baby bean? It looks like Nana Katie is messing with us already!"

Kate laughed at the nickname and then she and Alexis quickly fell into silence when they both picked up books to read. That didn't last long on Alexis' part, though, and she was thinking about the baby again. Kate abandoned her own book when she saw the distance in Alexis' eyes.

"What are you thinking?"

"That I can't wait to show these pictures to Alexandra. She didn't get a chance to see them."

"Alexandra again, huh? First she catches you when you fall, takes you to the hospital and stays there with you, then she walks you home and now you want to show her your sonogram pictures."

Alexis felt herself blushing spectacularly. "How did you know she brought me home?"

"You two were standing there with Rosamund for a good five minutes, and I could hear your giggles through the front door."

"Sorry about that..."

"Don't be sorry. I thought it was cute, and I'm glad you have her. She seems nice enough."

"She really is."

Kate smirked. "Do you like her? I have no objections if you d-"

Her words were cut off when the front opened and Martha all but waltzed in with a full grocery bag in her arms. Alexis immediately sat her things down on the seat, swung her legs over so that they were touching the floor and set off towards the kitchen island where the bag was being unpacked. Not that she didn't want to answer Kate, but she just didn't know how to put her thoughts into comprehensible words. Yet.

"What's this, Gram?" she asked. "I thought that you said you were going to help Kate keep dad in check."

"Oh, we already took care of him and he went to get some fresh air. Nothing to worry about, I promise."

The elder redhead was setting out things like canned chicken broth soup, a plethora of fresh fruit and vegetables, and even some chocolate pudding cups.

"This is all for you, darling, because we won't have you starving, especially when you're carrying precious cargo. One of the nurses near your hospital room gave me a pamphlet about what would be best for you and the baby while you transition back to solid foods."

Alexis hugged Martha. "Thank you, Gram!"

"You're quite welcome." she reciprocated the hug. "You hungry?"

"Not yet, but maybe later."

"Hey, what's this?"

Kate had joined them and was pulling an extra item out of the bag. When she saw it, she smiled and handed it to the teenager.

"I think this is also yours, Alexis."

It turned out to be a newly updated edition of _What To Expect When You're Expecting_, and Alexis was very grateful for it. She skimmed through the first few pages while the other two put the groceries away, but hadn't gotten too far when Martha suddenly spoke up.

"Alexis, why didn't you invite Alexandra and Rosamund in for some food?"

Caught off guard, Alexis nearly dropped her book. "What? Because I didn't know what kind of environment I'd be walking into, like if dad was still going to be here, and on top of that, Rosamund could barely keep her eyes open by the time we got here. She's is probably sleeping now."

Martha raised her eyebrows. "I beg your pardon? 'By the time we got here?' Just how close _are_ you to these two?"

Alexis blushed yet again. "Allie wanted to at least see me to the door, for her own peace of mind."

"Well, if that isn't adorable, I don't know what is." Martha remarked, getting out the juicer and arranging the fruit. "Invite them dinner next time, though."

"N-next time?"

"Oh, don't act so surprised. I saw you two stealing glances at each other."

"So did I." Kate admitted, sitting on the barstool next to Alexis. "It almost looked like flirting to me."

"We weren't!"

"Say what you want, but I know what I saw. You still haven't answered my question from earlier, though."

This peaked Martha's interest enough to make her put down her juicing ingredients and look from her future daughter-in-law to her granddaughter in turn. What an afternoon this was shaping out to be.

"And just what question would that be, Miss Alexis Harper?"

"Do you _have_ to middle name me in front of Kate?"

"I am your _grandmother,_ and I've helped raise you since you were a baby. I will use your middle name on you in front of whomever I want, whenever I want."

Alexis admitted defeat. "Fine. Kate asked me if I like Allie, as in really like her."

"Well? _Do_ you?"

"It's not like I can answer that question right now! I _did_ just have a break up!"

"I'll give you that one, but honestly, if you have feelings for another woman, more power to you."

Alexis had always known that her grandmother was the resident free spirit of the family, but she had no idea that Martha supported same-sex relationships.

"Really?"

"Really." She confirmed. "It's _your_ life, and I'm hardly one to tell you what to do, except to follow your heart. Life is about growing, but what is growing without taking a plunge into something completely new every now and then?"

Alexis honestly didn't know how to answer that, so she turned to Kate.

"And you said that you had no objections if I felt that way towards Allie."

The brunette nodded. "I did say that, yes."

"Why, though? I'm not your daughter, I didn't even come from your body. Why are you being so nice about this?"

"For starters, you aren't my daughter _yet. _That'll change when the wedding happens, but that's another topic for another day." Kate tapped Alexis on the nose with a finger. "Even when I was little, my parents raised me to be open to, respectful of and tolerant towards different belief systems and relationship styles because they had dear friends and colleagues like that. My mom didn't want me to be close-minded, and my dad still doesn't."

Alexis frowned, doing the math. "Hey, wait - the time you're talking about is the late seventies or the early eighties, isn't it?"

"Right again."

"Weren't those kinds of things taboo back then?"

"Yeah, but my parents didn't care, even if it resulted in their parents looking down on them for it since both sides of my family have only ever cared about family money and social class. Me? I'm proud of my parents for standing up for their beliefs."

Alexis was now looking at Kate with a newfound respect. Could she get any cooler?

"And when I was your age, I had a short fling with a girl in my year, just to see what it was like, but it didn't work out because we grew apart and she moved back to New Zealand, so I let bygones be bygones and here were are."

Martha cleared her throat to remind them she was there. "Katherine, quit rambling and let Alexis actually answer the question you're dying to know the answer to."

Kate quieted immediately, and let Alexis have her say.

"Okay, I'd be lying if I said I haven't felt something towards Allie since the day I met her, but all this time, I don't think I was ready to admit to myself that it's okay to have feelings towards a woman. I think Allie is bisexual, but her phrasing about it was a little foggy. If she is, it's a total bonus point."

Alexis looked between the two women she was talking to, feeling overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the countless time that afternoon and just smiled.

"This whole thing about me liking Allie stays between us, though, okay? I still want to talk to her about it, but I have to figure out exactly how that'll happen and I just don't want dad to find out before I'm ready to tell him. The last thing I need is for another freak out. I can't believe he hasn't disowned me yet…"

Before she had time to get too wound up with worry, she found herself being swept up one of Martha's hugs and being given a soothing back rub by Kate.

"You'll understand when you hold your little one in your arms for the first time that as a parent." Martha began. "You want the world for your child and you'll even find yourself dreaming of what their futures could be like. Believe me, I watched your father experience that the first time he held you, but he's learned now that you are your own person and that you'll make the choices and plans that you want for yourself. At the end of the day, you're still his baby, Alexis, and he's always going to love you because turning you away over all of this and not having you around would positively break his heart."

Alexis gave a small smile and rested her head on Martha's shoulder, looking at Kate, who almost tripped over her words.

"I haven't had the joy of holding my own baby in my arms yet, so I can't back Martha up on what she just said, but trust me - I know that your father loves you so much and nothing you could do would change that. I mean, he even went to Paris, hunted down kidnappers and rescued you because you're his daughter, and he loves you. He _will_ come around."

Just as Kate was about to respond, the front door opened and Castle hurried in, looking like he'd just stepped in dog doo.

"Pumpkin," he said to Alexis. "How much stock do you put in coincidence?"

"I put way stock more in fate, so not much." Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Long story short, I was at the Old Haunt for awhile, and your mother walked in and sat at the bar."

_"What?"_

"Yeah, I didn't know she was in town, either, but then she started asking me about you." (Castle ignored the poisonous glares he was getting from the other two) "I may or may not have accidentally told her about your baby?"

Alexis immediately saw red. "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT?"

Before Castle could reprimand Alexis for cursing at him, the sound of an old school Star Trek red alert klaxon filled the room, coming from Alexis' phone and making her hang her head with a groan.

"Well, this is just the best day of my life. Mom is calling."

At this, Castle looked from his daughter to his mother to his fiancée. "That, ladies, is called a coincidence."

Kate punched him in the arm.


End file.
